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CPP: Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 5: SYMPOSIUM: Dynamics of multi-component fluids POSTER

CPP 5.12: Poster

Friday, March 4, 2005, 17:15–19:00, Poster TU D

Buckling Instability of Droplet Chains in Liquid Crystalline Films — •Camilla Völtz and Ralf Stannarius — Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany

Isotropic droplets on smectic films present a model for two-dimensional colloids. A characteristic feature of the droplets is their mutual interaction by elastic distortions of the local orientation of the film, the c-director. We focus on the experimental investigation of the spontaneous deformation of droplet structures (buckling).

Under certain conditions, the c-director field in a free-standing smectic film can be prepared in such a way, that it is continuously rotated and forms a target pattern. Droplets are induced in the photochromic material by variation of the illumination strength. They align in closed chain rings. Increment of the droplet number increases the chain length at constant ring diameter, leading to a buckling instability with spontaneous wavelength selection.